Critics are giving “Blade Runner 2049” glowing reviews with words such as dazzling, visual feast, and visually breathtaking commonly used to describe the 1982 film sequel to Ridley Scott’s original, “Blade Runner.”
The sci-fi drama stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford – who reprised his character, Rick Deckard, from the original 1982 film. Gosling plays Officer K, whose discovery of a long-buried secret made him seek out Deckard, who was not heard of for three decades. The movie was directed by Denis Villeneuve (“Sicario, “Arrival”).
“Blade Runner 2049,” – which is set to open in cinemas October 6 – currently has a 98% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 83% Metascore from Metacritic.com.
Below are excerpts from the early reviews posted online by top movie critics.
Narcotic spectacle
Guardian Online’s Peter Bradshaw described the film as “visually staggering” and a “narcotic spectacle of eerie and pitiless vastness.” He praised it for delivering “pure hallucinatory craziness” that will leave the audience “hyperventilating.”
Apart from his obvious delight of the cinematography, Bradshaw also described the movie as “satirical, tragic, and romantic.” He pointed out that often in literature or cinema, science fiction tackles big ideas that make realist genres appear flimsy and parochial.
A visual feast
Rollingstone’s Peter Travers alluded to the fact that “Blade Runner 2049” almost runs for three hours.
However, that won’t matter much because according to him “every minute of this mesmerizing mind-bender is a visual feast.” He saluted the film’s cinematographer, Roger Deakins, calling him a “camera genius.”
Travers praised director Denis Villeneuve for having a “poet’s eye for details that reveal emotion.” He went on to say that “Blade Runner” could not be in better hands.
He also lauded the screen chemistry of Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling – describing it as “double dynamite.”
Best film so far
USA Today’s Brian Truitt called “Blade Runner 2049” “the best film so far” this year. He went on to applaud Denis Villeneuve's work saying this cements the “Arrival” director’s reputation as an icon of the science fiction genre.
What makes the “Blade Runner” sequel amazing, according to Truitt, is that “every aspect of it is top notch.” He praised the story as “surprisingly emotional” as well as the film’s “pounding soundtrack.” He likewise lauded the job that cinematographer Roger Deakins did for the film. He strongly believes that Deakins should earn an Oscar for his work.
